英语短文

第一篇：英语短文

Knowledge and progress 知识和进步

Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world? Surely because progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us and is becoming more and more manifest．Although mankind has undergone no general improvement in intelligence or morality, it has made extraordinary progress in the accumulation of knowledge．

Knowledge began to increase as soon as the thoughts of one individual could be communicated to another by means of speech．With the invention of writing, a great advance was made,for knowledge could then be not only communicated but also stored．Libraries made education possible, and education in its turn added to libraries: the growth of knowledge followed a kind of compound-interest law,which was greatly enhanced by the invention of printing．All this was comparatively slow until, with the coming of science, the tempo was suddenly raised．Then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic plan．The trickle became a stream;the stream has now become a torrent．

Moreover, as soon as new knowledge is acquired, it is now turned to practical account．What is called‘modern civilization’is not the result of a balanced development of all man's nature, but of accumulated knowledge applied to practical life．The problem now facing humanity is: What is going to be done with all this knowledge? As is so often pointed out, knowledge is a two-edged weapon which can be used equally for good or evil．It is now being used indifferently for both．Could any spectacle, for instance, be more grimly whimsical than that of gunners using science to shatter men's bodies while, close at hand, surgeons use it to restore them? We have to ask ourselves very seriously what will happen if this twofold use of knowledge, with its ever-increasing power,continues.恨别

杜甫

洛城一别四千里，胡骑长驱五六年。草木变衰行剑外，兵戈阻绝老江边。思家步月清宵立，忆弟看云白日眠。闻道河阳近乘胜，司徒急为破幽燕。

《恨别》是唐代诗人杜甫上元元年（760）在成都写的一首七言律诗，抒发了杜甫流落他乡的感慨和对故园、骨肉的怀念，表达了杜甫希望早日平定叛乱的爱国思想。全诗情真语挚，沉郁顿挫，扣人心弦。

首联领起“恨别”，点明思家、忧国的题旨。“四千里”，恨离家之远;“五六年”，伤战乱之久。个人的困苦经历，国家的艰难遭遇，都在这些数量词中体现出来。诗人于759年(乾元二年)春告别了故乡洛阳，返回华州司功参军任所，不久弃官客居秦州、同谷，后来到了成都，辗转四千里。诗人写此诗时，距700年(天宝十四年)十一月安史之乱爆发已五六个年头。在这几年中，叛军铁蹄蹂躏中原各地，生灵涂炭，血流成河，这是诗人深为忧虑的事。

颔联两句描述诗人流落蜀中的情况。“草木变衰”，语出宋玉《九辩》中的“萧瑟兮草木摇落而变衰”。这里是指草木的盛衰变易，承上句的“五六年”，暗示入蜀已有多年，同时也与下一句的“老”相呼应，暗比诗人自己的飘零憔悴。诗人到成都，多亏亲友帮助，过着比较安定的草堂生活，但思乡恋亲之情是念念不忘的。由于“兵戈阻绝”，他不能重返故土，只好老于锦江之边了。“老江边”的“老”字，悲凉沉郁，寻味不尽。

颈联通过“宵立昼眠，忧而反常”(《杜少陵集详注》)的生活细节描写，曲折地表达了思家忆弟的深情。杜甫有四弟，名为杜颖、杜观、杜丰、杜占，其中杜颖、杜观、杜丰散在各地，只有杜占随杜甫入蜀。此二句中的“思家”、“忆弟”为互文。月夜，思不能寐，忽步忽立;白昼，卧看行云，倦极而眠。诗人这种坐卧不宁的举动，正委婉曲折地表现了怀念亲人的无限情思，突出了题意的“恨别”。沈德潜评论此联说：“若说如何思，如何忆，情事易尽。‘步月’、‘看云’，有不言神伤之妙。”(《唐诗别裁集》)这就是说，它不是抽象言情，而是用具体生动的形象说话，让读者自己去体会形象中所蕴含的忧伤之情。手法含蓄巧妙，诗味隽永，富有情致。

尾联回应次句，抒写诗人听到唐军连战皆捷的喜讯，盼望尽快破幽燕、平叛乱的急切心情。760年(上元元年)三月，检校司徒李光弼破安太清于怀州城下;四月，又破史思明于河阳西渚。这就是诗中“乘胜”的史实。当时李光弼又急欲直捣叛军老巢幽燕，以打破相持局面。杜甫盼望国家复兴，他自己亦可还乡，天下可喜可乐之事，没有比这个更好的了。这首诗以充满希望之句作结，感情由悲凉转为欢快，显示了诗人胸怀的开阔。

这首七律用简朴优美的语言叙事抒情，言近旨远，辞浅情深。诗人把个人的遭际和国家的命运结合起来写，每一句都蕴蓄着丰富的内涵，饱和着浓郁的诗情，值得读者反复吟味。

Education教育

Education is one of the key words of our time.A man without an education, many of us believe, is an unfortunate victim of adverse circumstances, deprived of one of the greatest twentieth-century opportunities.Convinced of the importance of education, modern states ‘invest’ in institutions of learning to get back ‘interest’ in the form of a large group of enlightened young men and women who are potential leaders.Education, with its cycles of instruction so carefully worked out, punctuated by text-books----those purchasable wells of wisdom----what would civilization be like without its benefits? So much is certain: that we would have doctors and preachers, lawyers and defendants, marriages and births---but our spiritual outlook would be different.We would lay less stress on ‘facts and figures’ and more on a good memory, on applied psychology, and on the capacity of a man to get along with his fellow-citizens.If our educational system were fashioned after its bookless past we would have the most democratic form of ‘college’ imaginable.Among tribal people all knowledge inherited by tradition is shared by all;it is taught to every member of the tribe so that in this respect everybody is equally equipped for life.It is the ideal condition of the ‘equal start’ which only our most progressive forms of modern education try to regain.In primitive cultures the obligation to seek and to receive the traditional instruction is binding to all.There are no ‘illiterates’----if the term can be applied to peoples without a script----while our own compulsory school attendance became law in Germany in 1642, in France in 1806, and in England in 1876, and is still non-existent in a number of ‘civilized’ nations.This shows how long it was before we deemed it necessary to make sure that all our children could share in the knowledge accumulated by the ‘happy few’ during the past centuries.Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.All are entitled to an equal start.There is none of the hurry which, in our society, often hampers the full development of a growing personality.There, a child grows up under the ever-present attention of his parents;therefore the jungles and the savannahs know of no ‘juvenile delinquency’.No necessity of making a living away from home results in neglect of children, and no father is confronted with his inability to ‘buy’ an education for his child.梦天李贺

老兔寒蟾泣天色，云楼半开壁斜白。玉轮轧露湿团光，鸳佩相逢桂香陌。黄尘清水三山下，变更千年如走马。遥望齐州九点烟，一泓海水杯中泻。

在这首诗中，诗人梦中上天，下望人间，也许是有过这种梦境，也许纯然是浪漫主义的构想。开头四句，描写梦中上天。第一句“老兔寒蟾泣天色”是说，古代传说，月里住着玉兔和蟾蜍。句中的“老兔寒蟾”指的便是月亮。幽冷的月夜，阴云四合，空中飘洒下来一阵冻雨，仿佛是月里玉兔寒蟾在哭泣似的。第二句“云楼半开壁斜白”是说，雨飘洒了一阵，又停住了，云层裂开，幻成了一座高耸的楼阁；月亮从云缝里穿出来，光芒射在云块上，显出了白色的轮廓，有如屋墙受到月光斜射一样。第三句“玉轮轧露湿团光”是说，下雨以后，水气未散，天空充满了很小的水点子。玉轮似的月亮在水汽上面辗过，它所发出的一团光都给打湿了。以上三句，都是诗人梦里漫游天空所见的景色。第四句则写诗人自己进入了月宫。“鸾佩”是雕着鸾凤的玉佩，这里代指仙女。这句是说：在桂花飘香的月宫小路上，诗人和一群仙女遇上了。这四句，开头是看见了月亮；转眼就是云雾四合，细雨飘飘；然后又看到云层裂开，月色皎洁；然后诗人飘然走进了月宫；层次分明，步步深入。下面四句，又可以分作两段。“黄尘清水三山下，更变千年如走马。”是写诗人同仙女的谈话。这两句可能就是仙女说出来的。“黄尘清水”，换句常见的话就是“沧海桑田”：“三山”原来有一段典故。葛洪的《神仙传》记载说：仙女麻姑有一回对王方平说：“接待以来，已见东海三为桑田；向到蓬莱，水又浅于往日会时略半耳。岂将复为陵陆乎？”这就是说，人间的沧海桑田，变化很快。“山中方七日，世上已千年”，古人往往以为“神仙境界”就是这样，所以诗人以为，人们到了月宫，回过头来看人世，就会看出“千年如走马”的迅速变化了。最后两句，是诗人“回头下望人寰处”所见的景色。“齐州”指中国。中国古代分为九州，所以诗人感觉得大地上的九州犹如九点“烟尘”。“一泓”等于一汪水，这是形容东海之小如同一杯水被打翻了一样。这四句，诗人尽情驰骋幻想，仿佛他真已飞入月宫，看到大地上的时间流逝和景物的渺小。浪漫主义的色彩是很浓厚的。李贺在这首诗里，通过梦游月宫，描写天上仙境，以排遣个人苦闷。天上众多仙女在清幽的环境中，你来我往，过着一种宁静的生活。而俯视人间，时间是那样短促，空间是那样渺小，寄寓了诗人对人事沧桑的深沉感慨，表现出冷眼看待现实的态度。想象丰富，构思奇妙，用比新颖，体现了李贺诗歌变幻怪谲的艺术特色。

第二篇：英语短文

TOWN CRIER:

How do you 'get'' the news?Do you watch it on TV or listen to it on the radio?Do you read online newspapers or news blogs?Or do you get a pod cast delivered to your email inbox?News has never before been available to so many people in so many different forms and so convenient, so immediate.How do you 'get' the news? Do you watch it on TV or listen to it on the radio? Do you read online newspapers or news blogs? Or do you get a pod cast delivered to your email inbox? News has never before been available to so many people in so many different forms and so convenient, so immediate.TOWN CRIER:

However, getting the news didn't always use to be so easy.Oyez!However, getting the news didn't always use to be so easy.Oyez!NEWSCASTER:

In medieval times, many governments and town councils relied on a man with a loud voice to deliver news to the general public.This person was called the 'Town Crier'.The English Town Crier would call out,'OyezOyez''Which doesn't actually mean 'Oh yes', but derives from the Anglo Norman word for 'listen'.Of course, this method of delivering the news had its drawbacks.In medieval times, many governments and town councils relied on a man with a loud voice to deliver news to the general public.This person was called the 'Town Crier'.The English Town Crier would call out, 'Oyez!Oyez!' Which doesn't actually mean 'Oh yes', but derives from the Anglo Norman word for 'listen'.Of course, this method of delivering the news had its drawbacks.NEWSCASTER:

The main thing it was lacking was a wide audience.Furthermore, the information delivered was strictly controlled by the local council or government.This all changed with the advent of the newspaper.Around the beginning of the seventeenth century, the first mass printed

newspapers appeared in northern European countries such as Germany and Holland.Newspapers were in many ways revolutionary.The main thing it was lacking was a wide audience.Furthermore, the information delivered was strictly controlled by the local council or government.This all changed with the advent of the newspaper.Around the

beginning of the seventeenth century, the first mass printed newspapers appeared in northern European countries such as Germany and Holland.Newspapers were in many ways revolutionary.NEWSCASTER:

They could reach a huge audience.They could be written and printed by anyone, as long as they had access to a printing press and enough money to fund the publication.And what they didn't necessarily have to do was reflect the government opinion of the day.In other words, to some extent, newspapers and freedom of thought, opinion and expression went hand in hand.Fast forward to the twentieth century, and newspaper sales have fallen drastically.They could reach a huge audience.They could be written and printed by anyone, as long as they had access to a printing press and enough money to fund the publication.And what they didn't necessarily have to do was reflect the government opinion of the day.In other words, to some extent, newspapers and freedom of thought, opinion and expression went hand in hand.Fast forward to the twentieth century, and newspaper sales have fallen drastically.NEWSCASTER:

The reason?Television.In some ways, television has much more in common with the Town Crier than it does with newspapers.News reports are shorter, more visual, and delivered orally rather than via the printed word.Furthermore, in most countries, television news channels are controlled by a small number of powerful people.The reason? Television.In some ways, television has much more in common with the Town Crier than it does with newspapers.News reports are shorter, more visual, and delivered orally rather than via the printed word.Furthermore, in most countries, television news channels are controlled by a small number of powerful people.NEWSCASTER:

In a sense, they tell us what to believe.Think about it.How many people have the money and influence to be able to buy all the necessary equipment and start their own television news channel?Unless you're a millionaire with the right contacts, it's almost impossible.Of course, the Internet has changed all that.In a sense, they tell us what to believe.Think about it.How many people have the money and influence to be able to buy all the necessary equipment and start their own television news channel? Unless you're a millionaire

with the right contacts, it's almost impossible.Of course, the Internet has changed all that.NEWSCASTER:

In this new era of instant information, anyone with a computer and online access can write a news report and publish it online to a potential audience of billions.Indeed, you can even video yourself and broadcast your own news report by posting it on a video sharing website!Like never before, ordinary people are now able to report what's really going on in their area, and enter into discussion and debate about it.From the Town Crier, to the printed newspaper, to TV broadcast news, and now the Internet, the history of news has swung full circle a number of times.Right now, though, perhaps we're witnessing the beginning of a new age: the age of news written by the people, for the people.In this new era of instant information, anyone with a computer and online access can write a news report and publish it online to a potential audience of billions.Indeed, you can even video yourself and broadcast your own news report by posting it on a video sharing website!Like never before, ordinary people are now able to report what's really going on in their area, and enter into discussion and debate about it.从街头公告到报纸，到电视广播，再到当今的互联网，新闻的历史已经发生了数次巨变。Right now, though, perhaps we're witnessing the beginning of a new age: the age of news written by the people, for the people.

第三篇：英语短文

Do You Know My Work？

One night a hotel caught fire，and the people who were staying in it ran out in their night clothes．

Two men stood outside and looked at the fire．

“Before I came out，” said one，“I ran into some of the rooms and found a lot of money． People don't think of money when they're afraid． When anyone leaves paper money in a fire，the fire burns it． So I took all the bills that I could find．No one will be poorer because I took them．”

“You don't know my work，” said the other．

“What is your work？”

“I'm a policeman．

“Oh！” cried the first man． He thought quickly and said，“And do you know my work？”“No，”said the policeman．

“I'm a writer． I'm always telling stories about things that never happened．”译文：

你知道我是干什么的吗？

一天晚上，一家旅馆失火，住在这家旅馆里的人穿着睡 衣就跑了出来。两个人站在外面，看着大火。

“在我出来之前，”其中一个说：“我跑进一些房间，找到了一大笔钱。人在恐惧中是不会想到钱的。如果有人把纸币留在火里，火就会把它烧成灰烬。所以我把所能找到的钞票都拿走了。没有人会因为我拿走它们而变得更穷。”

“你不知道我是干什么的。”另一个说。

“你是干什么的？”

“我是警察。”

“噢！”第一个人喊了一声,灵机一动,说：“那你知道我是干什么的？”“不知道。”警察说。

“我是个作家。我总是爱编一些从未发生过的故事。”

第四篇：英语短文

林飞的家离学校大约10千米。他每天6点钟起床，沐浴，很快吃完早餐。然后他在大约6点半动向去学校。首先他骑自行车去汽车站。大约需要10分钟。然后他乘早班公共汽车去学校。乘公共汽车通常大约需要25分钟。

在北美洲，大多数学生乘坐校车去上学。一些学生也步行或骑自行车去学校。在世界的其他地方，情况有所不同。在日本，大部分学生坐火车去上学，但也有一些人步行或骑自行车。在中国，这要视你住在哪里而定。在大城市里，学生通常骑自行车或坐公共汽车上学。在有河或湖的地方，像洪山湖或开山岛，学生通常乘坐小船去学校。那一定比乘坐公共汽车上学更有趣！

A：星期三你能来参加我的聚会吗？

B：当然，我很愿意。

C：对不起,我不能来。我得上钢琴课。

D：对不起，我也不能去。我得去看医生。

你好亨利：

谢谢你的邀请。对不起，我这周不能去拜访你。我非常忙。今天晚上我要参加我堂兄的生日聚会。明天，我得去看牙医。（讨厌！）星期三我要参加校队的网球训练。星期四我必须学习，准备化学考试。星期五晚上我要和几个朋友去看电影。星期五你能来和我们一起去看电影吗？尽快回信。

索尼亚

你好亨利：

非常感谢你的邀请。对不起，下周我不能去拜访你。

星期一，我得去看医生。星期二，我要和我的朋友们。星期三，我必须 而学习。星期五，和一起度假。请在假期之后给我打电话吧。

托尼

亲爱的伊莎贝尔：

谢谢你上次的来信。这是我和我的双胞胎姐姐刘英的照片。正如你所知，在一些方面我们看上去一样，而在一些方面我们看上去不同。尽管我的头发比她的短，但我们都是黑眼睛、黑头发。尽管刘英比我健壮，但我们都喜欢运动。她比较外向，而我比较文静。我觉得我比她聪明一些。我最喜欢的科目是物理和化学，她最喜欢的科目的体育。不过，我们两个都喜欢参加聚会。

请尽快来看望我们！

爱你的，刘丽

有些朋友有相反的观点和爱好，有些喜欢同样的东西。你的观点是什么？朋友应当相同还是不同？我们询问了一些人他们所想的，这是他们所说的。

我喜欢拥有像我一样的朋友。我比我班里大多数的孩子都文静，我最好的朋友袁丽也很文静，尽管我们有些不同。我比袁丽聪明，但她更擅长运动。

詹姆斯·格林

A：咱们做水果沙拉吧。

B：好的，好主意。我们需要多少酸奶？

A：一杯。

B：我们需要多少苹果？

A：让我想想……我们需要两个苹果。

B：好的需要多少……

A：你怎样制作水果沙拉？

B：

超级鸡肉三明治

首先，在一片面包上放些黄油。然后在一个洋葱和一个西红柿切碎，把这些加到面包上。下一步，在面包上放些生菜和鸡肉片，并在鸡肉片上放些佐料。最后，在上面放上另一片面包。

这儿是一份制作优等火鸡三明治的食谱！

首先，在两片面包上黄油。把一个切碎。将西红柿放在面包片上。下一步，加上两片。在火鸡肉上放两茶匙。

九班的学生在学校旅行中过得很愉快。他们去蓝水水族馆玩了一天。他们首先参观了游客中心，并看了一场关于鲨鱼的电影。然后他们看了海豚表演。随后，他们去了户外水池，而且看到了一条大章鱼。午饭后，他们去了礼品店，买了许多礼物。最后，他们乘坐公共汽车返回了学校，他们虽然很累但很高兴。在当天结束时，科学老师很高兴，因为旅行之后，班长把公共汽车打扫干净了。

亲爱的汤姆：

你的假日过得怎么样？你野营愉快吗？我那天过得很不快乐。我拜访了我的堂兄们。那天一直在下雨。上午，我待在家里看光盘，玩电脑游戏和读书。下午，马丁叔叔把他的一些旧物品放在院子里，做庭院旧物出售。然而，没有人来买，因为天气太糟糕了。幸亏我们带了伞和雨衣，因此没被淋湿。

望尽快见到你，尼克

你多早开始做事都不为过。例如：老虎·伍兹10个月大就开始打高尔夫球。莫扎特4岁的时候就开始作曲，巴西伟大的足球运动员罗纳乐多17岁就为国家队踢球。

中国著名的钢琴家李云迪一直热衷于音乐。他1982年出生于重庆。当他还是个小孩子的时候，他就能哼唱歌曲并能哼唱较难的乐曲。他4岁时开始学习手风琴，7岁时开始学钢琴。在2000年10月，李云迪参加了在波兰举行的第14届肖邦国际钢琴大赛，并获得了他所在小组的第一名。他也是在该项比赛的70年历史中第一个获此奖项的中国钢琴家。

我理想的工作

当我长大的时候，我打算做我想做的事。我打算看搬到某个有趣的地方。巴黎听起来像是我喜爱的那种城市。那儿有许多艺术展。我想做一名艺术家。那么，我打算怎样做呢？首先，我打算找一份兼职工作，工作一两年，并攒一些钱。然后，我打算成为巴黎一缺艺术学校的学生。同时，我还打算学习法语。接下来，我打算举办艺术展览会，因为我想变得富有，并且给我父母买一幢大房子。我还想要周游世界。将来有一天我打算在一个安静而又美丽的地方安度晚年。

我们收到了1000多封读者关于新年要做的事的来信、传真和电子邮件。许多读者打算今年在学校更加努力地学习。许多读者打算做运动。有些读者打算多学习一种新的语言。有些女孩子打算多做一些运动来保持健康。有些父母打算学习他们的孩子在学校学习的课程。他们想更好地与他们的孩子进行交流/沟通。一位老妇人打算辞去现在的工作再找一份在中国当语言教师的工作。

A：我不喜欢做家务。

B：噢，我也不喜欢一些家务，但是我喜欢其他的家务。

A：真的吗？你喜欢：衣服吗?

B：不，我不喜欢。那令人厌烦。

A：我同意。你喜欢

B：不，不怎么喜欢。但是我喜欢因为那使人放松。而且我喜欢饭，因为我喜欢烹饪。

洗盘子

打扫你的房间

倒垃圾

扫地

叠你的衣服

整理你的床铺

南希：

感谢你照看我的狗。请你每天做这些事情好吗？带他去散步，给他水喝并且喂他东西吃。然后，清洗他的碗，跟他一起玩。别忘了打扫他的床铺。祝你愉快！下周见。

谢谢，托马斯

年轻人认为城里的这些地方怎么样?我们对我们的读者做了一个调查，这是我们了解到的情况。所有的电影院都很好，但影视城是我们城镇最好的。它有最大的屏幕和最舒适的座椅。然而，都市影院是最便宜的，它还有最友好的服务。最受欢迎的服装店是詹森服装店。它有质量最好的衣服，价格也是最便宜的。流行时装店是最差的，它的服务真差。至于广播电台，大多数人认为调频107.9兆赫爵士乐电台相当棒。它播放的音乐最引人入胜。

上周的才艺展示（1）是非常成功的。有（2）15个节目。伊莱扎·克拉克获得了（3）演员奖。她弹奏了一支优美的钢琴曲。胡悦是（4）演员。他在没有音乐伴奏的情况下跳舞。（5）奖由史蒂夫·田和他的狗――费多所获得。他们一起（6）一首有趣的歌曲。

第五篇：英语短文

20岁的李栗（清华大学三年级学生）已经高分过了英语六级，正准备“专八”的考试。她联系到记者时，腼腆地表示“我主要想给大家介绍一下自己背专八单词经验。当然，每个人都有自己的方法，我这个仅供参考而已”。

1．背单词要背得好，要背得快，最基本的原则是脑子不断地想单词，让单词不断地从脑子里过，看书看10遍，还不如脑子过一遍。要做到单词在脑子里过的次数比在书本上过的次数多得多，要做到完全抛开书本，不依赖书本，不拿书的时候也在想单词、背单词。要尽量在单词被忘记之前在脑子里过一遍，这样，它留给你的印象要深得多，就算以后忘记，也很容易记起来。

2．背单词时还要注意在单词之间建立联系。当然，刚开始时可能能建立的联系很少，但要注意培养这种意识，争取一串串地背单词，看见一个，就能想起一串。比如，同义的单词一块儿记，反义的、形似的、分类的、词根的，背单词一段时间之后，就应该看到该单词，想一想以前学过什么同义的，如果只有印象而想不起来，最好在一个笔记本上记一笔，下次碰到该单词时，特别注意。比如，背单词一段时间后，应该问自己：我一共学了多少关于衣服的词？如果你只记得中文意思，想不起英文，下次就要特别注意了。或者你看到holograph的时候是否能想起homograph?芽虽然有些书给你整理了一些联系，可我觉得自己总结的才会印象最深。

这样，单词之间建立联系后，不拿书本的时候你也能利用这些联系不断地想单词，当某一个单词记不起来时，就要注意了。不妨看后面的单词时，就不断地想前面学过的单词中有哪些类似的，或意思相反的，把有联系的单词的页数写在单词旁，每当看到这个单词时，总想起和它有关的单词，想不起时再根据页数翻看。如果有印象而想不起来，就在笔记本上记一笔，下次补上。

3．背单词时不要在一个单词上花的时间太多，根本不用超过一分钟，像扫描般一掠而过。只是重复的次数要多，特别在脑子里重复的次数要比在书本上重复的次数多得多。其他方法还有听录音带，背单词软件等等。不时翻一翻别的单词书也挺有用，因为有新鲜感